Size-reducing mill



Patented ug. 1,'1939` v y t UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE SIZE-BEDUCING MILL Charles F. Osgood, Claremont, N. H., asslgnor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 29, 1935 Serial No. 52,051 15 Claims. (Cl.l 83-9) This invention relates to size-reducing mills, sponding to the section line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with and `more particularly to mills which are espccialcertain parts shown in elevation. ly adapted for the reduction in size of masses Fig. 3 is a section slmilar to Fig. 2, showing a or rock, ore, retort residues, coal or other mamodified form of feeding apparatus.

5 terials, .from sizes of a 'maximum diameter of Referring first to the embodiment of the inven- 5 Vseveral inches to sizes which will pass through tion illustrated in Figs. l and 2, it will be noted a sieve of comparatively small mesh. that a bed plate I provides an appropriate mount- An object of my invention is to provide an iming 2 for a crank shaft 3, appropriately counterproved size-reducing mill. Another object is to' weighted as at 4 to provide smooth drive, and provide an improved size-reducing mill requiring having thereon the combined drive pulley and y a minimum amount of power in proportion to the wheel 5. The crank shaft 6 is connected by a amount of useful work performed. Still another suitable connecting rod I to a depending arm 8 objectistoprovideanimproved mill in which apludsecured to -a shaft 9 journaledl on a pair of uprality of stages of reduction may be eifected in a standing brackets I0 which may be formed inl5 common zone. A further object of my invention is tegral with the bed plate I, or otherwise suitably l5 to provide an improved plural stage size-reducing mounted thereon. This shaft 9 supports in its mill in which a minimum of power will be recentral portion a tubular feed supply device II quired during periods of reduced or interrupted having a flared mouth at I2 to permit continuous feed, and which will largely control its own rate communication with any suitable feed spout, not

9 0 of feed. A still further object of my invention is shown. The shaft 9 does not extend directly 20 to provide an improved size-reducing mill in through the feed connection II, but is connected Which the Crushing action 0f relatively moving to the opposite side thereof so that alcontinuous` bodies may be availed of in a plurality of stages; feed passage I3 may extend from the mouth I2 and as a more specific object of my invention, in down to the lower end I4 of the member II. The

5 this direction, there is the provision of an immember II is provided near its lower end and at 25 proved lmill in which one of the bodies may coits opposite sides withpairs of ears I4 to which, operate in a plurality of reduction stages. Still through suitable transverse holding devices, another object of the invention is to provide an herein bolts I5, there is connected a size-reducing y improved size-reducing mill in which a prelimlchamber I6 in which the first stage of sizereducnary stage of reduction, say from a size of comtion within the mill is accomplished. Obviously, 30

Dar-tively large diameter, t0 a relatively Small the chamber i6 may be secured to the member Ill mean diameter maybe accomplished, witha conin other ways, but the method illustrated, insiderable part of the material reduced to the cluding the bolts I5 and a close central connec-v desired ultimate size, in a first stage, said mill tion, as at II, provides a very effective'mounting.

providing as a further size-reducing means ap- The size-reducing chamber le is arcuate in 35 paratus permittingrelatively immediate discharge form, and provides an arcuate size-reducing of the adequately reduced material and further chamber 20 therein, which is of substantially unisize-reduction of the material inadequately reform cross section on radial planes including the duced. Still another object of my invention is axis of the shaft 9; and the curve of the chamber 40 t0 DIOVide in a Plural Stage Size-reducing mill en i 20 conforms to arcs struck from the axis of the 40 improved construction in which the same element shaft 9 asa center.' The chamber 20 is somewhat may perform the function of a casing within elongated, indeed materially so, and preferably is which one stage of reduction takes place and longer at each side of its zone of communication also the function of a breaking medium with 2| with the feed passage I3 than the width of respect to another casing in which a further stage that passage. The ends of the chamber maybe 45 of size-reduction is effected. Other objects and suitably rounded, as at 22, both exteriorly and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinteriorly, and the walls of the chamber may be inafter more fully appear.- perforated, as at z3, te. permit the discharge er In the accompanying drawing, in which one adequately reduced material from the chamber 5o illustrative embodiment and a lmodification are 2n, while preventing inadequately reduced ma- 50 shown for purposes of illustration, terial fromescaping.

Fig. 1 is a view in central vertical section Within the chamber 20 is desirablyprovided, through a size-reducing mill constructed in acwhen hard `material is to be reduced, an approccrclance with my invention. priate size-reducing medium, herein shown as in Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a plane corre 'the form of a single ball 25. of vappropriate material and of a diameter not greatly smaller than the internal diameter, on a radial plane, of the chamber 20. Obviously, a plurality of size-reducing bodies might be used.

- Surrounding the member I6 and supported by suitable bearings 30 from the shaft 9 is a second size-reducing chamber forming member 3l. This is provided with a lower, generally arcuate, portion 32 connected to an upwardly extending portion 33, the portion 33 being formed to permit the necessary relative movement between the member II and the member 3l. The chamber 32 is, in cross sectionon radial planes including the axis of the shaft 9, at all points, except as modified by'its communication with the portion 33, quite closely similar to the outer transverse contour of the member I6. 'I'he chamber 32 is elongated, and it will be noted that, since the chamber forming member 3I and the chamber ,forming member I6 are each oscillatable about the axis of the shaft 9, and. since they are of shapes conforming to arcs struck from the shaft 9, there will be relative movement between member I6 and member 3| which Will not change appreciably anything except their relative longitudinal positions. In other words, the radial clearance between the exterior of the member I6 and the bottom and lateral walls of the chamber 32 will not be altered. The upper portion of the member 3I is formed to provide a relatively close t at 36 for the outside of the member l I, but by reason of the fact that this fit occurs at the diametric plane through the axis of the shaft 9 no substantial friction will occur. The bottom Wall of the member 3l is provided, in the illustrative embodiment. with a plurality of longitudinally extending, relatively narrow discharge passages 31, through which adequately reduced material will be discharged, and an appropriate llaunder 39 is arranged to receive material discharged through the passages 3'I. Instead of employing an oscillating funnel or like construction, as shown in Fig. 1, for the delivering of material to be reduced in size to the feed passage I3, it is possible to enlarge the shaft 9 and to provide a feed passage extending axially through the latter, as at 40 in Fig. 3, such a passage communicating as at 4I with the feed passage I3; and to provide a feed connection 42 having a connection 43 with the bore of the hollow shaft 9'.

The chamber 32`may be provided with appropriate wear resistance liners I5 of suitable material,

as illustrated in Fig.. 2, and the chamber may be formed with a removable side wall 46 vto permit access to the interior and removal of the liners. The materials of which the chambers and the sizereducing medium may be constructed may obviously vary considerably, but those skilled in this art will be familiar with the preferable materials, as for example, chrome steel alloys and the like, which may be used when certain relatively hard substances are to be reduced; and if soft material, such as talc, is to be processed, obviously it would be possible to use rubber balls and rubber liners, if necessary, or other appropriately constructed chambers. However, the materials used, the relative sizes and weights of the parts, the nature and sizes of passages and openings all depend, more or less, on the substance to be processed; and it will be obvious that there may be wide variations, but all within the knowledge of those skilled in this art. It may be here noted that the outer chamber could be made stationary, or indeed may be the sole directly actuated element, if conditions warrant.

The mode of operation of the invention may now be briefly described. Material to be reduced in size may be supplied to the opening I2 in Fig. l, or to the passage 40 in the hollow shaft 9 in Fig. 3. and delivered through the feed passage I3, and enter the size-reducing chamber 20,. wherein it will be reduced in size suiiicient to pass through the discharge openings 23 formed in the walls of the casing I6. Of c ourse, with materials of certain friability and other characteristics, the use of an internal size-reducing medium will be unnecessary, but for many materials the employment of an 4internal size-reducing medium, illustrated herein by the single ball 25, will be desirable.

Now it will be understood that power will be transmitted to the combined pulley and flywheel 5 and will cause the same to rotate, thereby to 'turn the crank shaft 3, and the connecting rod I and arm 8 will impart an arcuate oscillation to the casing I6 about the axis of the shaft 9. This will create a movement of the chamber contents including, when the same is present, size-reducing medium 25. The movements of the chamber memberv I6 will cause the chamber contents to undergo movements in which there will be periods of movement of the load with the chamber, periods of load movement relative to the chamber, and periods of impact or of compacting, at least, of the load within the chamber. Depending upon the angle of oscillation of the chamber and the length of the chamber and the length arcuately of the load within the chamber, there will be decided variations between relatively sharp impact and relatively dead, but powerful compacting of the charge with respect to the chamber. During the relative movement of the load within the chamber there will, of course, be a relatively continuous reduction in size of the fragments of material to be reduced within the chamber. There will be a reduction in size due to attrition, due to the radial pressure as a result of centrifugal force during the periods of arcuate movement of the chamber, and also due to the internal working of the particles making up the charge. There will be crushing force due to the compressive action of the medium upon the charge and the forces exerted by the medium and the walls, particularly the end walls, on the charge of material to be processed. Moreover, there will be a size-reducing action by the size-reducing medium against the lower wall of the chamber. In other words, there will be a size-reducing action of a highly effective type, and moreover, a denite controlled one, due to the selection exercised in determining the relative length of the chamber and its form and the'rate of feed. The size-reducing medium and entering material will fill the chamber, as feed is supplied in adequate quantities, up to a certain maximum value, materially less than the full volume of the chamber, and new material will enter the chamber past the ends of this load within the chamber only as adequately reduced material passes from the chamber through the openings 23.

Now with respect to the material which is discharged through the openings 23 into the chamber 32, it will be understood that this material will be of varying, size, the particles of maximum size being just small enough to escape through the openings 23, and the size of the material passing through these openings into the chamber 32 will vary downwardly to dust; with certain materials a' considerable fraction of the material being reduced to the ultimate necessary neness by the reducing process carried on Within the chamber 20. 'Ihe starting of oscillation of the chamber I6 and the supply of feed to the mill will cause a sudden starting of movement of the chamber member 3|. As material commences to be discharged from the openings 23 into the chamber 32, a portion of it will sift through the slots 3l (which slots will be understood to betransmitted to the chamber 32, thereby setting chamber-forming member 3l into motion; and thereafter Athere will be a relative movement between the member I6 and member 3l, which will result from the imparting of movement to the.

member 3l bythe member IE. The chamberforming memberl will be moved by the member i6 a certain distance in one direction. It will continue to move in that direction for a certain time after the member i6 begins to slow down, and it may continue its movement in that direction after the member i6 begins to reverse its -direction of travel. What will occur will depend upon therelative length of the chamber 32 with respect to the length o f the chamber-forming member i6. In any event, the member I6, as it reverses its direction, will, either with or without the occurrence of impact (depending upon the relative length and amplitude of movement),

Y indue season effect a reversal of movement of the chamber 32, and 'a similar sequence of operations Will'take place, but with reversed movements, during the opposite passage of member I6. Now it will lbe evident that during the relative movement'of the member IB with respect to the chamber 32, there will be a very eifective -size-reducing action taking place, including a grinding action between the outer wall of the member iE and the interior of the member 3l, and a crushing action due to the forcible compacting of other particles of Amaterial between the exterior of the member i6 and the adjacent end walls of the member 3l. There may be powerful impacts, depending upon the design and characteristics, secured vby vmaking the relativeV lengths and movements such that the chamber member i6 may attain its relative maximum velocity 'in the reverse direction before consolidation of the material between its leading end and the oppositely moving end of the chamberforming member 3i occurs.

It will be evident, of course, that there will be attrition, due to centrifugal force, as the `material within the chamber 32 is pressed by the centrifugal force against the walls of the chamber, and there will be constant internal working Within the material in the chamber 32, due to the various forces to which it is subjected.

It is to be noted that if the feed to the feed connection i3 beinterrupted, the quantity of material within the chamber 20 will soon be depleted, and until and after the feedis again started there will not be motion of such amplitude imparted by the chamber I6 to the size- 'reducing medium 25 as to cause impact; and in My invention may be employed in wet grinding operations as well as in the dry operations of size-reduction, and it is adapted to provide anything from a powerful impact type of reduction to reduction largely producedby attrition and internal working of the charge, depending upon the amplitude of motion and the amount of free travel provided between the positively oscillatable element and the cooperant parts. Automatic feed i control to the first stage is secured, and by proper design of the second stage no amount of material which may be discharged from the rst stag'e can ever choke the second stage.

It will be evident that this design is. simple; that it has only one directly power-'driven part; that this part cooperates to eiect a plural-stage reduction; that the apparatus is rugged in construction, highly emcient, and adaptable to substantially any material whose size may require reducing.

While I have in this application specifically described-one form, and a modification thereof,l

which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form and modification are shown for purposes ofillustration, and

-that the invention may be further modied and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by4 Letters Patent is:

1. In a mill, a frame, a pendulum pivotally -supported on said frame for oscillatory movement and having an elongated arcuate chamber therein, means for positively oscillating said peny dulum, a free spherical crusher element in said chamber constrained as to movement only by said chamber wall and having a diametric dimension of relatively the same order as the vertical dimension of said chamber, a pendulum member pivotally supported on said frame for oscillatory movement and having an arcuately elongated chambertherein receiving said pendulum and'having walls cooperating with said pendulum in the further size-reduction of material, means for introducing material into said pendulum during movement 4of the latter, means for discharging material from said pendulum into said chamber in said pendulum member, and' means for discharging material from said pendulum member.

2. In aV size-reducing mill, a size-reducing member, means for positively moving the same alternately in opposite directions in a predetermined path, a casing 'providing a size-reducing chamber into which said size-reducing member extends and having supporting means providing for the free movement thereof in a path similar to the path of movement of said size-reducing member and having ends with which said sizereducing member cooperates in the size-reduction of material, said size-reducing member also having a size-reducing chamber therein, a sizereducing medium in said chamber last mentioned, said'last mentioned size-reducing chamber having ends with-which said size-reducing medium coacts in the size-reduction of material, means for feeding material into said mill comprising means for delivering all the material entering the mill initially to said last mentioned chamber, whereby material entering said first mentioned chamber must iirst pass through said last mentioned` chamber, means for discharging material from said last mentioned chamber to l said first mentioned chamber, and means for discharging material from said rst mentioned chamber. a

3. In a size-reducing mill, a member providing an elongated size-reducing chamber having upper and lower walls, said size-reducing chamber containing a free size-reducing medium, means for supporting said member for oscillation about an axis located above said size-reducing chamber and for swinging said member a1- ternately in opposite directions upon said axis, 'means for introducing material to be reduced in size into said chamber through the upper wall thereof at a point spaced from both ends of said chamber, means for discharging size-reduced material from said chamber, a casing vmember surrounding said first mentioned member and supported for pivotal movement about an axis adjacent its top and having material discharging means associated therewith, said casing member providing a chamber receiving said first mentioned member and having ends coacting with the ends of said first mentioned member in eiecting size-reduction, said means for discharging size-reduced material from said first mentioned chamber communicating with said second mentioned chamber, and the axes of pivotal movement of said members lying in the same straight line.

4. In .a size-reducing mill, a member providing an elongated size-reducing chamber containing a free size-reducing medium, means for supporting said member for oscillation about an axis located above said size-reducing chamber and for swinging said member alternately in opposite directions upon said axis, a casing member surrounding said first mentioned member and supported for pivotal movement about an axis adjacent its top and having material discharge .means associated therewith, means for discharging size-reduced material from said rst mentione'd chamber into said casing member, said casing member providing a chamber receiving said iirst mentioned member and having ends coacting with the ends of said rst mentioned member in eiecting size-reduction of material delivered thereto from said first mentione member. n

5. In a size-reducing mill, a positively power oscillated crushing member providing all of the walls of a size-reducing chamber and having provision for the feed of material into the interior thereof, said member having its axis of oscillation located outside of said size-reducing chamber, a casing surrounding said member and freely pivotable about the axis of oscillation of said member and having a size-reducing coaction with said member, and means for feeding material into said casing from said member at opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof and for discharging size-reduced material therefrom.

6. In a size-reducing mill, a positively poweroscillated crushing member providing all of the walls of `a size-reducing chamber and having provision for the feed of material into the intesaid crushing member, means for discharging partially size-reduced material therefrom into said casing, and means for discharging material from said casing.

7. In a size-reducing mill, a hollow member providingia size reducing chamber containing a free size-reducing medium, means for supporting said member and for imparting thereto alternate movements in opposite directions,

means for introducing material into said chamber, means for discharging size-reduced material from said member, a casing member supported for movement and surrounding said member and providing a chamber receiving the latter and to which said means for discharging sizereduced material from said chamber discharges, said casing member also having material discharge means associated therewith and having its chamber of a size in the direction of movement of said hollow member slightly greater than the overall length of the path of movement of rsaid hollow member, whereby upon, but only upon, a predetermined filling of the chamber in said casing does the latter receive motion from said hollow member.

8. In a size-reducing mill, a positively power oscillated crusher member pivotable about an axis adjacent its upper end and having a working, blow-striking outside, and furthermore having an internal preliminary size-reducing chamber, and means for delivering material to the latter, a casing pivotable about an axis from which it depends, said casing axis alined with the crusher chamber pivot, said casing having opposite ends with which the opposite faces of said crusher member may alternately coact in. a crushing operation, means for delivering material from said preliminary size-reducing chamber into said casing, and means for discharging size-reduced material from said casing.

9. In a size-reducing mill, a positively power oscillated crushing member providing a size-reducing chamber therein, and having provision for the feed of material into the interior thereof, a casing surrounding said member and providing a secondary size-reducing chamber and cooperating with said power oscillated crushing member in a secondary size-reducing action, and

'freely pivotable relative to said power oscillated sion for the feed of material into said chamber,

a casing surrounding said chamber and freely pivotable relative thereto about the axis of oscillation of said member and having a size-reducing coaction with said member, and means for feeding material into said casing only from said member and for discharging size-reduced material from said casing.

1l. In a size-reducing mill, a' member providing an elongated arcuate size-reducing chamber, and alternately moved by power in opposite directions in an arcuate 'path to which the curvature of said chamber conforms, means including a direct feed passage leading from the exterior of'said mill to said size-reducing chamber for feeding material to be reduced in size to said chamber .and means for delivering material reduced to a smaller size from said chamber, and a casing providing a chamber into which said member extends, and means supporting said casing for free movement in a path similar to the path of movement of said member, saidcasing freely movable relative to said member, and receiving size-reduced material from said first mentioned chamber, and providing for the discharge of further size-reduced material, and said casing having the chamber therein conforming in curvature at its bottom and ends to the curvai ture of the bottomI and ends o f said chamberv providing member.

12. In a size-reducing mill, in combination, a size-reducing element moved alternately in opposite directions in a predetermined path and having an end wall extending transversely of such path, means for delivering material into said mill along a path in the planes of movement of said element, means cooperating with one of the opposite surfaces of said end Wall to effect percussive size-reduction, means for delivering material so size-reduced to the opposite side of said end wall, .and means cooperating with such opposite side of said end wall to eect a further percussive size-reduction of such mate-- in size in said mill rst into the interior of said chamber member for .reduction therein, and

means for discharging size-reduced materiall from said casing.

elongated along its path of movement and hav-v ing at each of its opposite ends, in terms of its reciprocator'y movement, inner .and outer end surfaces each extending generally transverse to the path of movement of said element, means cooperating with the interior of said element to provide at one of said inner end surfaces of the latter, a preliminary size-reducing operation, `a member substantially enclosing said sizereduc ing element and between which and said element relative movement takes place and which has a surface extending generally transverse to the path of movement of said element and cooperating withV one of said outer end surfaces on said size-reducing element to provide a successive stage of reduction of the material previously partially size-reduced at said first mentioned pair of cooperating surfaces, and means for delivering material, following said preliminary size-reducing thereof, into position for said successive stage of reduction.

15. In a size-reducing mill, in combination, a power moved size-reducing element swingable bodily alternately in opposite directions in a predetermined arcuate path, means cooperating with said element and between which and said element there is relative movement longitudinally of said path, and respectively inside of and substantially enclosing said element, to provide within the annular zone in which said arcuate path lies and of which it forms a part, by the coaction of said element and said cooperating means inside the same, a primary size-reduction of material Within said element and, by the coaction of said element and said cooperating means substantially enclosing the same, a secondary size-reduction of the same material in a distinct stage outside said element, and means for delivering material following the primary size-reduction thereof in- CHARLES F. osGooD. 

